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FIRST AWARDS INDUSTRY CONFERENCE OF ITS KIND LAUNCHES IN D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

FIRST AWARDS INDUSTRY CONFERENCE OF ITS KIND LAUNCHES IN D.C.

World of Awards brings together international audience to set industry standards

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2016 — The International Congress of Distinguished Awards, in affiliation with OpenWater, will host the inaugural World of Awards conference in the nation’s capital later this month to instigate a definitive discussion for the awards industry.

The conference, which spans three days from June 21-23, 2016, will specifically cover:

• The principles, standards and accepted practices in the world of awards;
• Sound methods of strategic planning and management for awards programs; and
• Innovative methods of marketing awards in a digital world.

In an industry lacking standards and best practices, World of Awards will bring together awards executives and administrators from across the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Australia, Canada and Ireland to address these concerns using the ICDA’s Awards Praxis, a 40-point certification benchmark for successful awards programs. The conference will also demonstrate how to use technology to benefit the lifecycle of an awards program.  

“I’m very proud to help bring together an otherwise unconnected community of awards professionals to discuss and dedicate ourselves to mutually beneficial standards and best practices,” OpenWater CEO Timothy Spell said. “We are looking forward to the discussions that will unfold, and to uniting our industry now into the future.”

Some of the most distinguished thought leaders in the awards industry will be presenting at World of Awards, including:

• Patricia Gruber, President of Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation
• Sarah Hreha, Executive Director of The Gruber Foundation
• Felicia F. Dixon, Awards Manager of the American Chemical Society

Additional speakers include:

• Beth Scheraga, Director of Awards at the Franklin Institute
• Andrew Rathmann-Noonan, Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation
• Dr. James Glownia, Senior Science Advisor at the US Department of Energy
• Nickie Denick, Product Director at Hanley Wood
• Marlena Martinez Love, Awards Program Officer, Lemelson-MIT Program, MIT School of Engineering
• Michael Gallagher, President at the Stevie Awards
• Jennifer Sizemore, Awards Consultant at the American Society of Military Comptrollers
• Melek Demir, Director Radio Services & Awards at the National Association of Broadcasters
• Timothy Spell, CEO at OpenWater

The event will be held at 1776 Crystal City and registration is still open. World of Awards is the first of many events to follow, including a U.K. conference in 2017. Learn more at www.worldofawards.org.

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ABOUT OPENWATER

OpenWater, a software company based in Washington D.C., provides an awards management software platform that automates and helps to grow your awards and recognition programs. Visit www.getopenwater.com for more information.

ABOUT ICDA
The International Congress of Distinguished Awards was established in 1994 as a not-for-profit corporation in Philadelphia, PA, to serve as an educational, membership and data collection organization for the international world of awards. It has organized and sponsored world of awards conferences on a periodic basis since its inception. Visit www.icda.org for more information.

PRESS CONTACT

Timothy Spell

CEO, OpenWater

timspell@getopenwater.com, 202-765-0247

Timothy Spell

Timothy Spell co-founded OpenWater in 2007 with the goal of helping organizations tackle and better manage the oftentimes overlooked awards and contests industry. As an author and speaker in the awards industry, Timothy provides unique insight on how to use awards to boost membership, social media followers and search engine traffic.

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